Sleepeating?

[Juls]

Yesterday morning, I woke up and there was a bag of oreo cookies in the bed next to me, and tell-tale crumbs on the sheet. My husband told me he saw me get up around midnight, go to the kitchen, and come back with the bag of cookies.

Is that weird or what. He says I often get up at night and eat peanutbutter from the jar. No wonder I have a hard time losing weight.

Has anyone heard of anything like this before. What can I do to stop it? I have no problem controlling what I eat during the day, but knowing I eat in the night while I'm still asleep is too bizarre. LOL

Juls

[SylvryMoon]

Hi Juls,
Well. . . judging from your post in the Women in Recovery forum, I'd say you're under an extraordinary amount of stress right now. And what do we do when we're stressed? We use. If it's not our drug of choice, it's something else -- shopping, sex, EATING. I think that's what's going on. The fact that you're not aware of getting up for peanut butter or cookies shows that your subconscious really wants SOMETHING to block out the discomfort you're feeling right now in your home situation. And since you can't very well go out at 3am and get some drugs or buy some booze, your subconscious leads you to another addictive substance . . . sugar. . . and carbohydrates.

I think that once you get your personal situation under control, your urges will subside.

I'm not a shrink. . . just someone who's been there, done there, and got the extra 30 pounds to prove it!!

[Pony]

Hey Juls, I must agree with Sylvrymoon, in that when we're stressed we go for whatever is going to make us feel better. Some mutter in their sleep, some sleep walk, you seem to be ,as you say "sleep eating". Once you deal with whatever is stressing you I'll bet that goes away too. But, meantime, maybe you could not buy those types of food and have it around the house to even get into. If you at least eat soemthing that is healthier or less damaging while you are going throught this stage, you would have one less thing to fell bad or worry about.

Just a thought!!

Pony

[Paulie]

Juls -

I agree with the posts above. I do the same thing, but not in my sleep. But I do feel like I am in a trance when I do it, then I say to myself "what just happened" it's like I unconciously go to the cupboard and eat. I have started doing what pony said and when I buy snacks for the kids I try and buy stuff I don't really like.
I know you have a daughter. Maybe move her snacks to a different place and see what happens.

[smoke gets in my eyes]

Hi Juls!

I've read your posts on the other forums, and I know what a tough time you are going through. I'm hugging you in my heart... I hope you can feel it.

Pauline's idea about changing where you keep things sounds good. I have a set of bells on my pantry door. They started as an alert to the cat that it's din-din time, but they also serve as my "stop and think" chimes. I've never done any sleep eating, so I don't know if they would be enough to stop a ravenous night raider.

Hugs!,
Smoke

Juls,

I woke up running once. I woke up just before I ran into a wall. It was during one of those stressful breakups. Stress can cause you to do strange things when sleeping.

Hugs,

MG

[JT]

Juls,

Ward sleep eats. I told him about it and he kind of knows it...he told me once he woke up and there was a bag in the house with snacks and a reciept from the 7-11...and he did't remember going.
I move things...he used to get up and eat chips and when I moved them he stopped. He eats peanut butter too...so maybe I should move it. Maybe your husband could move the stuff...?? It worked for Ward but he did find something else, so put pretzels where the oreo's were?

Hugs,
JT